Mental Hospitals Play A Significant Role

IPOH, July 27 (Bernama) -- Tanjung Rambutan, near here, and Tampoi in Johor are known more for the wrong reasons, namely the presence of Hospital Bahagia and Hospital Permai respectively, two of the biggest and earliest mental hospitals in Malaysia.
The negative perception is not only among children but they are also the subject of jokes among adults, who often refer to the two institutions in glee when poking fun at friends.
The recent statement by Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek that the government would not increase the number of mental hospitals in the country under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) should give the public something to think about of the significant role these two hospitals have played in the country's history.
"We will not be building new hospitals specially for treating mental cases, instead we will upgrade the existing facilities at Hospital Bahagia and Hospital Permai," he told reporters after visiting Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta recently.
With the ever-increasing challenges around us, including family problems, work and environmental pressures, almost anyone can have mental problems.
According to statistics, there are about 2.6 million people with mental problems in the country and this is a good enough reason for the hospitals to be accorded due respect.
Hospital Bahagia, known in those days as the Federal Lunatic Asylum was built in 1910 and completed in November 1911 at a cost of RM20,000.
It evolved from a small psychiatric institution into a fully-fledged mental hospital that has treated thousands of people.
The name Federal Lunatic Asylum was changed to Central Mental Hospital in 1928, before being changed to the current name in 1971.
Perhaps many may not know that Hospital Bahagia was one of the few buildings that was never bombed or entered by invading Japanese soldiers during the Second World War because it was declared a "war free zone".
Meanwhile, the origin of Hospital Permai started when the Mental Asylum in Johor was built in 1915 at Batu 3, Jalan Skudai.
Less than 100 patients were treated at that time and its name was changed to the Lunatic Asylum in 1929.
In 1936, Sultan Ibrahim of Johor ordered that the hospital be moved to Tampoi where it stands tilll today.
The new hospital became known as the Johor Mental Hospital and was completed in 1937 at a cost of RM1,618,100 and its name was changed to Hospital Permai in 1972 by the then Health Minister (later Tun) Sardon Jubir.
Unlike Hospital Bahagia, Hospital Permai went through a bloody time during the Japanese Occupation when the medical superintendent Dr Perinbam and his brother-in-law Dr S.D. Luther were killed in cold blood in front of their staff by Japanese soldiers who turned it into an army base.
In 1992, a former Japanese soldier, Takehawa Kyoichi wrote in his book entitled "The Story of Flies, Rats, Pests and Germs" about the bacteria research at the hospital for war purposes.
Dr Chua's announcement that 50 state and district hospitals, which would complement Hospital Bahagia and Hospital Permai besides 800 government clinics for follow-up treatment, will certainly give a boost to the image of the two hospitals.